Long Time Ago
Hugill says this was popular on both English and American ships and by the 1890s was the most used halyard shanty of them all. German and Scandinavian crews had versions in their own languages. It was sometimes sung in a lively manner, and sometimes slow and melancholy, depending on the shantyman.
A long time ago
A
long, long time, and a long time ago,
To me way, hay, hay, yo!
A long, long time,
and a very long time,
A long time ago!
A smart Yankee packet lay
out in the bay,
To me way, hay, hay, yo!
Awaiting a fair wind to get under way,
A long time ago!
With all her poor sailors
sick and all sad,
To me way, hay, hay, yo!
For they'd drunk all their whiskey, no more could be had,
A long time ago!
A dollar a day is a
stevedore's pay
To me way, hay, hay, yo!
Dollar a day, I heard them say,
A long time ago!
I thought I heard our
second mate say,
To me way, hay, hay, yo!
One more pull, and then belay,
A long time ago!
A
long, long time, and a long time ago,
To me way, hay, hay, yo!
A long, long time, and a very long time,
A long time ago!
The Exmouth Shanty Men are proud to be associated with
